Numerous people, including government officials gathered Tuesday at a park near Ground Zero to pay a tribute to the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

For the first time the New York ceremony took place away from the site where six years ago the World Trade Center’s twin towers crumbled after being struck by two hijacked planes.

The ceremony held in Zuccotti Park, Lower Manhattan was dominated by peace, as the tears of those remembering their loved ones were merging with the few drops of rain falling from the mournful sky.

A ramp was built at Ground Zero so that family members of the victims will be able to lay flowers in the core of the future trade center, due to be finalized by 2010.

The city’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he will watch over the construction of a stronger structure until his term ends next year. Bloomberg also expressed his concern “that future generations won't be as compassionate, and won't forget.”

“I want to make sure that it won't happen, that's the reason for the memorial,” he said.

Bloomberg also addressed the aggrieved families saying, “Six years have passed and our place is still by your side.”

Six new towers will be raised in the following years, along with a memorial for those killed in the 1993 and 2001 attacks. The Liberty Tower will be the tallest building on the globe after its completion, overlooking New York from a height of more than 590 metres.

Tuesday’s ceremony began at 8:46 am with the sound of church bells which marked the moment when the first hijacked plane struck one of the twin towers. Another pause followed shortly after, at the exact time when the second commercial airliner crashed into the other 110-storey tower.

Then, the imposing structures bursted into flames and soon after that crumbled, sending tons of debris and dust into the air. A rain of steel, concrete and glass fell over hundreds of people running scared on the streets of Manhattan.

Like every year, the names of those killed in New York were read out by family members, emergency workers who participated at the rescue operations six years ago and local officials.

Bloomberg and New York’s mayor in 2001, Rudolph Giuliani read the names of people killed by the coordinated attacks carried out by members of the al-Qaeda terrorist network.

A ceremony was also held at the Pentagon, where 184 people died when another plane was slammed into the governmental building. President George W Bush and other high-ranked officials held a moment of silence at the White House, with similar commemorations taking place in Shanksville, Pennsylvania and at the main US airbase in Afghanistan.

Speaking at the Pentagon ceremony, Defence Secretary Robert Gates said Americans across the country are sharing the families’ pain and sorrow. He reiterated that the government will continue to fight against extremists and defend the citizens at all costs.

“The enemies of America, the enemies of our values and our liberty, will never again rest easy because we will hunt them down relentlessly and without reservation,” Gates said.